'Criminal Minds' Lawsuit Alleges 'Rampant Sexual Misconduct' Behind The Scenes, Disney Responds

Between its 2005 premiere and its 2020 series finale, "Criminal Minds" continued to keep fans captivated each week as the show followed a team of FBI profilers. Now, new reports have emerged that indicate what was going on behind the scenes of the CBS crime show may have been more difficult than viewers would have anticipated.

According to U.S. News & World Report, the state of California filed a lawsuit against CBS, Disney, and producers of the long-running series “Criminal Minds" on Tuesday. In the new legal action, it was alleged that Gregory St. Johns, a cinematographer who worked on the series, had "engaged in rampant sexual misconduct against crew members for years" throughout his 14 years working on the show.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, St. Johns' behavior was initially examined after a complaint was filed by Anthony Matulic, a former technician. Subsequently, Dauv McNeely, who worked in the "Criminal Minds" video playback department, said he had corroborated allegations against the former DP before being "dismissed." As stated by the publication, St. Johns was eventually removed from his role in 2018 after Variety ran a piece that highlighted some of the allegations.

The suit, which was filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, stated that many had been made aware of St. Johns' behavior. New allegations were also made that over a dozen men had been fired over the years when they resisted his unwanted advances. Not only has it been said that St. Johns' behavior was "rampant, frequent, and in the open," but the suit also alleges that he "publicly shamed" those who went against him and that the show had even "routinely approved" of the aforementioned retaliatory firings.

After the initial news broke surrounding the new lawsuit, an ABC Studios spokesperson spoke to Deadline about the new development.

After stating that they consistently work to "maintain a work environment free from discrimination, harassment, or retaliation," they said that they had worked alongside the Department of Fair Employment and Housing during the investigation. After being unable to reach a suitable conclusion, the spokesperson then added that moving forward they "intend to defend the asserted claims vigorously."

At this time, it remains unclear what either party will do next moving forward.